Seattle’s famed ‘Spite House’ has found a new owner

This cheese wedge-shaped house was born from a 100-year-old feud.

Seattle’s famous “Spite House,” which sold for $745,000 in June, is an iconic sight in the city’s Montlake neighborhood. According to local legend, the 1925 home was built in an act of revenge by a scorned ex-wife.

The property listed for $799,000 in May, according to Realtor.com, which first reported on the recent sale. 

Viewed a certain angle, the blue stucco exterior of the Spanish Revival home appears like any other modestly sized residence. Take a walk around the block, however, and you’ll find that the home’s 15-foot width tapers into a mere 55 inches — not even 5 feet. 

The home’s previous owner, Emily Cangie, gave a tour of the property in 2023 to YouTuber Kirsten Dirksen. According to Cangie, the dwelling is rumored to have been built by a bitter divorcee.

Instead of selling and dividing their marital home in the split, Cangie said, the couple split the lot itself. The wife literally got the smaller slice of the pie — she was awarded a 3,090-square-foot slice of the yard, while her ex kept the house. 

“The story goes that she decided to build a house to block his view in the front yard,” Cangie said.

Despite its diminutive size, the home’s floor plan packs a punch. The interiors span 860 square feet across two levels. A kitchen, a living room, a family room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms manage to fit comfortably inside the skinny abode. Both floors measure a neat 430 square feet.

Cangie told Dirksen that she lived comfortably in the tiny house, but likened the closet-like bathrooms to those found in New York City. 

Listing agent Rob McGarty of Bushwick Real Estate showed off the property’s amenities in a tour of the home on the YouTube channel Tiny House Giant Journey, including a full-sized refrigerator, a dishwasher and laundry units. Despite being on the narrowest end of the house, the “Spite House” kitchen puts most East Village counterparts to shame.

A separate entrance on the lower level offers opportunities as a guest house, an Airbnb or an accessory dwelling unit, according to the listing.

Median sales prices for Montlake homes exceeded $1.5 million in May, according to Redfin. Having sealed the deal at $745,000, the new owner of the “Montlake Spite House” got a relatively affordable slice of the pie.